Shipwrecked with Mr. Wrong - By Nikki Logan Page 0,61

things caught her eye from amongst the goodies within. A box of hot cocoa sachets—she closed her eyes and prayed thanks to the chocolate gods for that one—and a folded envelope. Her letter.

She shook the sea water off her hands and flapped them in the air to dry before pulling the envelope out to examine it. Mark was right; it was from her work. A frown creased her forehead. There wasn’t a problem with her research...?

‘Honor?’

She spun around, crumpling the unopened letter in her hands as Rob emerged from the surf. Beyond him, she could see Mark’s deckie loading the welding gear back onto The Journeyman.

Here it comes... She forced a tight smile to her face. ‘All done?’

He looked out to the horizon. ‘I don’t like how this weather’s looking. I don’t want to leave—’

‘I’ve weathered storms here before, Rob. You’d be surprised how much shelter the pisonia trees provide. Besides, this isn’t a big one.’ Nature made a liar of her as a strong gust blew dried seaweed along the beach and yanked strands from the ponytail high on her head.

Tropical or not, the zephyr blew in straight off the ocean and had cooled as it travelled. It hit Honor’s wet skin and birthed goose bumps wherever it touched. She shivered in response.

‘I’ll get these in as quick as I can, though, just to be sure.’

He nodded and looked up the beach towards camp. He looked every bit as uncomfortable as she felt. She took the plunge just as he swung his head back around. They both spoke at once.

He smiled and it was like the sun breaking through the grey clouds. It tore another shred off her heart. ‘You first.’

She shuffled her weight to the other foot. ‘I was just going to say...goodbye.’ Her voice was much steadier than she felt. Years of faking it were paying off.

‘You’ll be okay?’

He wasn’t just talking about the storm. ‘Yes. Thank you, for everything.’ For ten days of lightness. For letting me have you. She willed him to understand. He didn’t let her down.

His eyes bled down into hers. ‘You’re so welcome.’

Another gust tugged at her body. She crossed her arms across chilled flesh.

‘Goodbye, Honor.’ He stepped in towards her and wrapped his arms around her before she could protest. Before she could beg him not to. Her folded arms trapped her like a straitjacket against the steel of his chest. He dipped his mouth to meet hers.

She twisted her face away, not willing to risk a final kiss. He didn’t move, didn’t so much as blink. He just stood still and waited, as enduring and patient as the shipwreck he was leaving behind.

Her will faltered, as he must have known it would, and she relaxed in his grasp, the letter almost fluttering from her trembling fingers. His lips met hers halfway in a gentle kiss that caused a painful ache behind her sternum. It was like their first kiss. Soft and tender, full of promise. Only this one was full of sadness.

An ending.

Grief robbed all the strength from her and she sagged in his arms. He took her weight as his kiss deepened. She felt his body stir against hers, couldn’t help responding, but at the last second she dragged her wits back around her and pushed away.

Not cruelly, but finally.

She struggled for composure, to keep the tears at bay. It took a monumental effort to wipe the grief from her face and leave it blank. She knew that he’d blame himself for whatever he saw there and she wanted him to see...nothing.

By contrast, his eyes burned into her. Anger, hurt, rejection and loss all mingled to make for a painful mix. But there was no hate, for which Honor was deeply grateful. She wouldn’t have coped with seeing that in his beautiful blue depths.

He stood straighter in the brewing storm and looked at her impassive face. When he spoke, she shouldn’t have been able to hear his whisper, but she did. The words eddied around her before whipping off down the long shingle beach.

Find the sky, Honor.

Although there was no malice in his words, no intent to be cruel, they gutted her like a fish because of the sheer impossibility of ever crawling out of the place she was in. She sucked in her breath and held it as Rob turned and waded back out towards The Player. He was halfway across the lagoon before she let the grief out on an animalistic groan. She tipped her chin up